


wherefore art thou hajime?

by clxude



Series: Shakespeare and Chill [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Theatre, I promise I'll actually write iwaoi for this verse one day, M/M, also so much kunimi, best wingman award goes to watari, kindaichi was suppose to be in this but I'm lazy, shut up kunimi, so much iwaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 21:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7331467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clxude/pseuds/clxude
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The Nurse and the Prince do <em>not</em> have a make out scene, Sleep-chan!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	wherefore art thou hajime?

**Author's Note:**

> is this as long as the first part? no  
> is the ending of this rushed? yes  
> did this take five years to write? you betcha 
> 
> Beta-ed [Rey](http://kxrasuno.tumblr.com/)

 

“This is bullshit,” Kyoutani said for what felt like the hundredth time. However, he added a bit of flair by throwing his script off the stage. It fell with a  _ thunk,  _ causing the paperclip to slip off and pages to fly everywhere. 

 

Shigeru doesn’t encourage the blonde with a response. That’s all Kyoutani ever wants from him, for the setter to lose his calm and yell. His throat is sore from putting up with Kyoutani and running lines for an hour after volleyball. They had been  _ this close  _ to perfecting their fight scene, so, of course, Kyoutani had to forget his lines. 

 

They needed to get this down, before Oikawa watched them rehearse in the morning. Seijoh’s men’s volleyball team always did  _ Romeo and Juliet,  _ and Shigeru wouldn’t be the first to fuck it up, especially not when Oikawa had managed to snatch up, to no one’s surprise, a lead role and directing. 

 

“God, why do you even care so much?” Kyoutani asked, flopping down on his back. Shigeru wrinkled his nose. He was fairly certain that was the exact spot where Mattsun and Makki had practiced with the squibs, nevermind their four combined characters never used them.

 

Shigeru jumped off the stage and gathered Kyoutani’s script, but didn’t bother to place the pages in the correct order. He climbed back onto the stage, walked to Kyoutani’s side, and dropped the papers onto his head.

 

Kyoutani jerked up into a sitting position, sputtering. “What the  _ fuck,  _ Yahaba?”

 

“Learn your lines, Kyoutani. I don’t want Oikawa-san to have to stress out anymore about this than he has to.”

 

“You’re so far up his ass, Yahaba. Why don’t you  - “

 

“Do you really want to finish that sentence?” Shigeru tilted his head. “I don’t think you do.”

 

“You’re such an asshole.”

 

“And I have homework,” Shigeru replied, before walking away. He grabbed his bag and threw the strap over his shoulder, before heading down the stairs to the exit. He called over his shoulder one last time, “And learn your lines!” before leaving the auditorium. 

 

…

 

Shigeru and Watari were sitting in the courtyard during lunch. Shigeru didn’t really want to be outside for a variety of reasons, consisting mainly of how  _ god damn  _ windy it was, and the fact that he could literally feel his skin turning pink from the midsummer sun. However, the list of reasons for why he lobbied for lunch in his classroom did  _ not  _ include the fact that Kyoutani Kentarou was sitting directly across the courtyard from him.

 

“He just gets on my nerves so much. And, it’s even worse, because it’s not like he can’t act!” Shigeru complained. Watari nodded along, but based on how intently he was staring at his phone, Shigeru had the sinking suspicion the libero wasn’t actually paying attention to him. The second year didn’t mind; it just felt good to get all of the pent up stress off of his chest and into the air. “Like, you saw him during the play at Karasuno, right? He can do it, and he does it during every single scene _ ,  _ except the ones we share. Like, who fucking does shit like that?”

 

“I know, how awful…” Watari echoed after him. The libero was biting his bottom lip and texting rapidly, before sighing and setting his phone down on his lap. “I know you don’t want to hear this, and I’ve said it before, but - “

 

Shigeru scrambled off the bench and clutched his bento to his chest. “Oh, no. Not today, Watari. You promised not to bring that up again.”

 

“But I think it’s true! You know how Kyoutani looks up to Iwaizumi-san. He acts the way Iwaizumi-san does when he’s mad at Oikawa, except without the...obvious fondness? I guess?” He paused, tapping his fingertips on the wood of the bench. “You know he doesn’t have the best people skills.”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“He’s trying. You know, he’s probably just nervous around you”

 

“Sure.”

 

“And I’m fairly certain you like him, too. You wouldn’t be trying so hard if you didn’t.”

 

Shigeru sat back down on the bench. “That might be true.” 

 

He really didn’t want it to be true.

 

…

 

Oikawa was sitting in the first row of seating, legs crossed and a clipboard in hand. His hair was pinned back with a few sparkly clips, and he even wore his glasses.

 

“Okay, so Makki and Mattsun - “ he pointed to each of them as he said their name, “ - walk on from left center stage. Once you’re at left downstage, Mattsun says Old Capulet’s line.”

 

“Ay, Makki, I get to call you a ho,” Mattsun says, laughing like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard. The auditorium lets out a collective sigh.

 

“Do it again and you’ll wake up without eyebrows,” replied Makki, sounding completely disinterested. 

 

Oikawa called attention back to himself. “Mattsun, please just say your line. I don’t have time for your lovers’ squabble. The only relationship drama here will be between Romeo and Juliet!” 

  
  


…

 

Dress rehearsals the next day went somewhat better. Kyoutani was home with the flu, along with half of the second year class. So, instead of practicing their fight, Shigeru instead worked with Iwaizumi-san on a later part of act I. 

 

Iwaizumi could act fairly well. His emotions were well thought out, and his body language almost always suited the scene perfectly. And while Shigeru might not be as skilled as his senpai, he could carry his own weight. However, they could barely make their way through five lines before Oikawa would yell  _ Cut!  _ again from his spot in the audience. 

 

“Can’t you just…” the director waved his hands around.

 

“What? Can we what, Oikawa? We’ve run this scene far more than we need because you can’t decide what it is this play needs.”

 

“But it’s not good enough, Iwa-chan!”

 

“It’s Shakespeare at a high school cultural festival, put on by a sports club. I don’t think anyone is expecting it to be particularly good,” the spiker argued.

 

“Just, run it one more time. Please, Hajime, Yahaba?”

 

Iwaizumi glanced over his shoulder to look Shigeru in the eye, who simply nodded his consent. “Fine. One more time, and no interrupting, Tooru.”

 

Oikawa blushed and nodded, before signaling the two actors to begin. “From Lord and Lady Montague’s exists.” 

 

The first half of the exchange went fairly well, with little to no bumbling lines. They both had a vague idea of their blocking, so it all really came down into interpersonal movements. 

 

“Ay me! Sad hours seem long.” It’s clear Iwaizumi wasn’t quite sure what do with his hands for this line, so he clutched them to his chest in a fashion that almost seemed sardonic. Shigeru was fairly certain Oikawa flinched in his seat, opened his mouth as if to interject before shutting it again.

 

“What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?” Shigeru asked.

 

“Not having what makes them short,” Iwaizumi replied as he leaned against one of the faux-marble columns that littered the stage.

 

“In love?”

 

“Out - “ Shigeru was almost positive Oikawa winced again.

 

“Of love?”

 

“Out of her favor - “

 

“Cut!” Oikawa shouted, jumping to his feet. His clipboard clattered to the floor. “You can go, Yahaba-chan. We’re done for today.”

 

Yahaba nodded, and jumped off the stage. Oikawa’s hands were shaking. Neither Iwaizumi nor Oikawa looked at him as he grabbed his bag, or as he walked down the exit stairs, but he heard a sob in the few seconds in between him walking out the door and it closing behind him.

 

…

 

Shigeru tapped his foot. He could just make out Kyoutani from where he stood in the wings, and if it was not illegal, he would have strangled the blonde. He wouldn’t say that he was pissed off exactly, except, that’s exactly how he felt. If anything, Shigeru just wouldn’t  _ say  _ it like that.

 

But, yeah, Shigeru was somewhat pissed off.

 

“Look at him!” he shrieked, jerking Watari over so their heads were level.  _ “Look at him!  _ He’s actually acting and trying and shit!”

 

Watari rolled his eyes, but his frown was identical to Shigeru’s. 

 

What the brunette said was true. Kyoutani  _ could  _ act, even better than Iwaizumi-san, but his skills didn’t care over to when he shared the stage with Benvolio. Shigeru was trying  _ so hard _ , why couldn’t Kyoutani extend the same respect?

 

“Did my heart love till now?” Shigeru was unable to see Iwaizumi as he recited his lines, and his words were muffled by the thick curtains as well. “Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

 

Kyoutani followed him a second later, his voice projecting clearly even though the mics had yet to be set up. He was barely muffled by the curtains. Shigeru ground his teeth with every syllable. “This, by his voice, should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier, boy.”

 

“He’s such an asshole,” he muttered, continuing to glare at Kyoutani even as Mattsun said his lines, with only a few memes and puns, slipped in. 

 

“I still - “

 

“Shh,” Shigeru whispered, placing his index finger against Watari’s lips. “Not now, and preferably not ever.” 

 

He let out a small shriek when Watari licked his hand, and proceeded to wipe it on the curtains. 

 

…

 

Shigeru watched the play practice from the second to last row of the audience. Since they were working on Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting, he didn’t have any part in the scene. Since Kyoutani did, and seemed to spend every moment of rehearsal either sulking in the dressing room or sulking backstage, Shigeru had retreated as far as he was able without summoning Oikawa’s wrath. 

 

Iwaizumi and Oikawa were working on blocking. Stripes of tape were already covering the stage, both color coded and with numbers written on in Sharpie. Oikawa was dragging his partner around the stage, holding both his wrists to jerk Iwaizumi’s arms in exaggerated gestures. 

 

Iwaizumi was frowning and his cheeks were a bright pink. Small flashes of laughter would burst out of his mouth every few seconds, whenever Oikawa would trail his fingers over Iwaizumi’s forearms and neck. 

 

“So I stand here,” Oikawa said, his back pressed up against one of the columns, “with you in front of me.” He directed Iwaizumi’s hands to his cheeks. “Then you say your line. Go.” 

 

Iwaizumi huffed. “Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged.”

 

Iwaizumi’s lips had barely brushed against Oikawa’s before he was pulling back. The setter let out a whine, low in his throat. He threw his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck and pulled him forward until their chests were pressed together without any space in between. 

 

Even from where Shigeru was sitting, it was obvious how hard Oikawa was pushing. His hands were sliding down Iwaizumi’s back, tugging at the bottom of his tee shirt. Mattsun let out a loud whistle, causing Iwaizumi to pull back harshly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

 

“Don’t just stick your tongue in my mouth, Shittykawa!” he shouted, stomping off of the stage.

 

“Rude, Iwa-chan! You like it when I stick my tongue in - “

 

“Shut up!” Iwaizumi yelled, chucking a bag at Oikawa’s head. Kunimi let out a yelp two rows down from Shigeru. He suspected it was the first year’s bag. 

 

“But we were  _ finally  _ getting some action on the set,” Makki complained. Iwaizumi silenced him with a quick middle finger.

 

…

 

“I thought Friar Lawrence was the one with the poison. Are you certain all of these are my lines? And then, there’s the nurse as well...” the first year said forlornly. 

 

Kunimi stood a center stage, frowning at his script. Since he was playing both the nurse and Friar Lawrence, he had close to the most lines out of everyone in the play. 

 

“Friar John is the one that’s not a major role.”

 

“Fuck,” Kunimi muttered, but since the mic system had  _ finally  _ been set up, the entire auditorium heard. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. “What does  _ benedicite  _ even mean?”

 

“Kunimi-chan,” Mattsun gasped.

 

“He’s so young, too,” Makki added.

 

“No foul language from first years!” Oikawa shouted, looking just as scorned as the other third years.

 

…

 

Shigeru and Watari were at the libero’s house, running lines back a forth. The performance was still a month away, but Oikawa was beginning to get anxious, and with that, was also pushing harder.

 

“Where the devil should this Romeo be? Came he not home tonight?” Watari asked in the deepest voice he could manage, but it ended up coming out more like he had coughed a shit ton and didn’t have any water.

 

“You sound ridiculous.” All Shigeru got in exchange for his troubles was a glare. Shigeru rolled his eyes, and 

 

Shigeru flopped onto his back and covered his face with his script, and then proceeded to scream into it.

 

“You okay?” Watari asked, laughing slightly. 

 

“You know how you keep saying that I’m in lo - That I like Kyoutani?”

 

“Its pretty obvious.”

 

“Yeah, it is.”

 

…

 

“And fall upon the ground, as I do now, taking the measure of an unmade grave.”

 

When Kunimi’s knock didn’t come, Iwaizumi and Oikawa frowned in sync. They waited for a few seconds, to see if he just wasn’t paying attention, but still, they never heard it. 

 

“Kunimi!” Oikawa yelled, glaring at the stage.

 

“Why do I have to be  _ both  _ the nurse and the friar?” the first year finally complained from his spot beside Iwaizumi. “How can I be a middle age woman, as well as a guy giving Rohypnol to teen girls?”

 

“Shut up and say your line!” Makki yelled, from where he was sitting on the ground, sewing the dresses for his two roles. “You’re not the only one multitasking!” 

 

…

 

“Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I’ll descend,” Iwaizumi said, before he jumped off of the raised platform that served as a balcony. He flipped a page in his script before frowning. “Oikawa?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“It says I go down, but what if I don’t want to go down on you? Can I just ignore that?”

 

“Follow the script, Iwa-chan, and stop being gross!” Oikawa yelled, chucking his script at Iwaizumi’s head. Iwazumi ducked and laughed, high-fiving Makki and Mattsun as he walked off the stage.

 

…

 

“Can we just cut out, say, 90% of the Nurse and Friar Lawrence's lines?”

 

Everyone then shouted  _ no!  _ at him. Kunimi frowned, and managed to not complain for the rest of the day.

 

…

 

“Hey, Tooru? In act II, where Romeo calls Juliet his sweet, can I change that line to ‘my salty’? I feel like that would describe your interpretation of the character much better.”

 

“I swear to God, if  _ anyone  _ asks to change the lines again, I will cry.”

 

…

 

“Can we please just get rid of - “

 

“For the last time, we are  _ not  _ changing the script or removing any characters, Kunimi!”

 

Iwaizumi frowned. “Please don’t make Tooru cry. He looks really ugly when he does.”

 

Oikawa pouted. “Rude, Iwa-chan!”

 

“Oikawa-senpai! I just want to know why the Nurse has to talk about her boobs so much!”

 

…

 

“Which is the god of my idolatry, and I’ll believe thee.”

 

“If my dear - “ Iwaizumi stopped talking mid-sentence and burst out in laughter, hugging his sides. His script fell to the ground, scattering the pages everywhere. 

 

“What’s wrong, Iwa-chan!?”

 

“I’m sorry, I just can’t say this without thinking about you in alien boxers,” he replied once he had finally stopped laughing, but a few chuckles still slipped out. 

 

“Mean, Iwa-chan!”

 

…

 

Things changed during the final dress rehearsal, one day before the cultural festival. Shigeru was pissed off, and rightly so, as he watched Iwaizumi-san, Watari, and Kyoutani move on the stage from the side of the stage. 

 

Any interaction between Tybalt and Benvolio was still incredibly shaky, and nowhere close to how Kyoutani would perform with the volleyball team. Hell, it was even worse than Tybalt and Mercutio, when Watari could barely stand to practice lines with the blonde. Kyoutani would at least try, then. But, as soon as Shigeru walked on the stage, it was like Kyoutani didn’t care at all, never remembering his lines or fight choreography.

 

Once Oikawa yelled cut, Shigeru dragged Kyoutani off stage and into the green room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Kyoutani asked as Shigeru manhandled him into a chair.

 

“I could ask you the same thing!” Shigeru yelled, not even bothering to keep his voice down. “Why can’t you do the scenes with me? You’re fine with Watari and Iwaizumi-san, and I’m trying to work with you, and I know we don’t get along, but you could at least extend the same courtesy!” 

 

“It’s your fault,” he mumbled.

 

“How the  _ fuck  _ am I to blame?”

 

“Because you’re you!”

 

“And what is that suppose to mean,  _ Mad Dog?” _

 

“Don’t call me that,” growled Kyoutani. His fist clenched, and he seemed to almost curl in on himself. “It’s annoying enough when Oikawa-san does it.”

 

“Then tell me what’s going on, Kyoutani.” He plopped down on the couch across from the blonde and crossed his arms.

 

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

 

He sighed, but agreed anyway.

 

“I’m nervous, I guess.”

 

“You - you’re  _ nervous?”  _ he balked. 

 

“I don’t want to let you down, okay?”

 

“Oh -  _ oh,”  _ and suddenly, everything Watari had been saying for months made sense. “You like me, don’t you?”

 

The spiker blushed. “Please don’t laugh.”

 

“I’m not, Kyoutani. I like you as well, however unfortunate that may be.” He stood then, and walked forward to stand in front of Kyoutani. With his right hand, he traced the blonde’s jaw and cheekbones, before tipping his head up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. As he pulled back, Kyoutani tried to chase his mouth, but stopped when they heard Oikawa call for a restart of the scene. “So, I know you can do better. I expect you to try harder, Kyou.”

 

Kyoutani nodded, and with that, Shigeru led him back to the wings. 

 

…

 

“Thy beauty hath made me effeminate, and in my temper soft’ned valor’s steel!”

 

Even as Shigeru walked onto the stage, preparing himself to announce the death of Mercutio, he found himself unable to focus, or wipe the dreamy smile off his face. Kissing Kyoutani certainly wasn’t the best of his entire life - he’s plenty of people who have heard of things like chapstick. But knowing that Watari was correct in that Kyoutani liked him back was more than enough to brighten his mood. 

 

Which, was exactly not what he needed. Before he could even speak the first word of his line, Oikawa was already yelling cut.

 

“Yahaba-chan, stop smiling! I know we’re all ready for this project to be over so we can practice for the spring tournament, but your friend is dead and you’re smiling! You’ve been fine every run until now, so fix it. From the top!”

 

Shigeru could’ve sworn that, as he walked off the stage blushing, Kyoutani was smirking.

 

…

 

_ “For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” _

 

“So the play is over,” Shigeru said as he studied Kyoutani’s hands. They were standing behind the auditorium, and the setter was just able to make out noises from the cultural festival. Kyoutani’s knuckles were covered in red dye, while the majority of it was on his face and neck. Shigeru had tried to wash it off in the bathroom sink, but for the most part, it had just smeared even further. 

 

He looked up from Kyoutani’s hands and smiled. “You did quite well, Kyou.”

 

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Kyoutani’s neck, walking forward until the spiker’s back was pressed against the wall. Kyoutani’s eyes were wide as he looked up at Shigeru, his pouty lips barely open. Shigeru ran his hands through Kyoutani’s hair, and the blonde let out a quiet sigh.

 

“You like this, don’t you?” Shigeru whispered, before kissing Kyoutani hard. A moan slipped out of the spiker’s mouth, and Shigeru tugged him closer, until there was no space between them. Kyoutani’s mouth is pliant and warm, soft under Shigeru’s.

 

“I’m proud of you, Kyou.”

 

…

… 

**Author's Note:**

> the gangnam avenue is my fucking jam
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Requests are welcome at my [tumblr](http://mother-iwa-chan.tumblr.com/)


End file.
